Ellasyna [Ceaelie #1] | completed

iii | Dark Imaginings

       I kept my face neutral while walking down the street, keeping my eyes peeled for a shop of some sort that sold girl clothing. My dark eyes scanned each building I passed, taking in the worn paint of some and the newer paint of others. Some of the buildings were bright colours, like oranges and white, but most were darker shades of blue.

       I’d gotten to the end of the street when I saw a store named ‘Sunset Boutique’ and I squinted at the old sign that hung above the door for a moment before heading over to walk in. A few female human’s passed me on the curb as I pushed the glass door open and I heard a chiming sound, startling me slightly.

       As soon as I’d regained my composure I studied the interior of the building, noticing the many racks of clothing in the centre of the room and shelves along the walls with hats and other accessories spaced out evenly with signs saying what each section was. My eyes flickered around the large space, taking in the dark brown pine wood walls and the navy blue carpet.

       The next thing I knew a human girl was walking towards me from the other side of the store and I froze as she approached, smiling merrily, which made my gut turn in anticipation. “Hello there, welcome to Sunset, how can I help you?” The girl’s voice was cheerful, the opposite to her expression. She looked tired and bothered with dark circles under her eyes, and no matter how hard she tried to hide behind her long blonde curls I could tell nevertheless.

       I swallowed the bitter taste in my mouth and smiled back at her, quite sure the upturn of my lips looked forced. She eyed me for a moment, coming to a stop in front of me. She stood a couple inches taller than me, probably supported by the high-heeled shoes she wore, and had milky skin that looked as if it had never seen the sun. The bags below her eyes seemed to become an offset to her light brown eyes, making them look darker.

       “I have a clothing crisis,” I said, testing the words on my tongue, unsure what else to say to the young human girl. Her eyebrows rose and she gave a little laugh.

       “Well, it’s a good thing this is a clothing shop,” she said, turning to walk towards a rack with different materials hanging on it. I followed, then realised the material were different types of shirts. “So, we’ve got plain cotton shirts here, and I’m thinking the black, white or dark blue will match your skin tone.”

       I nodded, not really understanding much of what was happening as the tall woman started to pull the coloured shirts she’d listed off the rack, handing them to me as she moved on to the next rack. She pulled a few pairs of long pants and the same shorter ones I wore now and handed them to me as well. Somehow I knew I was going to be here awhile.

       In the end I bought three pairs of pants, two pairs of shorts, five t-shirts, one jacket, a pair of pyjamas and another pair of shoes. The human girl turned out to be quite good company, and I knew it was a horrid thought and that I should be shunned for even thinking it, but it was true. She got less and less grumpy the more time she spent with me and I didn’t know why. But by the end of the hours spent browsing and trying things on I had to pay for it all. And it wasn’t cheap.

       I smiled at the girl as forcefully as I could when I was about to leave but before I could she asked. “Where are you staying, if I may ask?”

       “Ridgeway Inn,” I replied without thinking. Maybe I shouldn’t have said anything. What if this girl was dangerous? I could’ve been playing into a trap. Damn you’re stupid, Val, I scolded myself.

       “Oh, really?” she asked, her eyes lighting up. “Perhaps we really will see each other again! My Grandmother owns the place, you see.”